Bus bar connecting clamp



Aug; 29, 1944. E. T. CARLSON BUS BAR CONNECTING CJMP Filed April 15, 1943 overliesthe Patented Aug. 29d, 1944 Elmer '1'. Carlson,

Wyoming, Ohio, assigner to The Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Com- Dany, Plainville, Conn.,

a corporation of (lon-l Appuesuon April 1a, 194s, seal No. 482,859 4 claims. v(ci. asv-ss) My invention relates to devices for connecting the ends of bus bars and especially flat bars which it is desirable to connect end to end.

The main object is to provide a simple, compact but effective device.

Another object ls to provide not only a good electrical connection but one having a maximum strength and rigidity for a given amount of metal.

For this purposeI provide a one piece tubular body having a longitudinal passage for receiving the ends of the bus bars. This passage is somewhat wider at one edge, which for convenience we shall call the top, than it is at. the opposite edge or bottom. It is enough wider than the thickness of the bus bars so as to accommodate alongside of the bus bars a clamping plate or wedge and enough deeper than the width oi.' the bars to allow for adjustment of the clamping plate. This clamping plate or wedge extends the length of the connector and has a flange which overlies th upper edges of the bus bar sections and a number of clamp screws are seated in the top edge of the connector body 'for engaging this flange and forcing the clamping plate Adown be- I tween the bus bars and one wall of the passage.

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the preferred form o! the invention as used.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional same parts.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamping plate.

Fig. 4 is a lace view of the clamping plate. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the plate on the linel--I of Fig. 4.

The sleeve or tubular body I has alongitudinal 'passage 1 which is narrower at the bottom than at the top, that is, tapered, and enough larger than the bus bar ends 8 and 9 to accommodate them. The clamping plate I0 is preferably of sheet metal and adapted to be forced downwardly in the passage alongside of the bus bar ends by means of set screws II, II. I2, I2. The upper edge oi.' the clamp plate has a flange I3 which bus bar ends and therefore tends to force them into line when the screws are set up tight against them. The underside o! this nange may be knurled or toothed at' Il tovmore securely view oi' the v -edgewise in said ends of said iiang'es.

hold the bus bars against longitudinal movement in the connector. The plate also preferably has tapered ribs I5, I5 for coacting. with the inner wall of the passage' 1 when the plate is forced. down between thewall and the bus-bars. The plate has a stop lug I6 at its upper edge adapted to iit into the hole or recess I1 in the upper edge of the body 6 so as to prevent the plate when inserted into the passage 'l from moving longitudinally in the passage. The plates when stamped or cut from sheet metal may have the lug of one plate cut from the recess I8 of the next plate for economy of manufacture.

I claim:

1. A connecting sleeve having a tapered passage to receive two bus bars, a single clamp plate slidable edgewise in said passage alongside said bars and having ilanges to overliethe bus bars and clamp screws for engaging said anges and forcing said plate edgewise toward the narrower edge of said passage to clamp the bars therein'.

2. A rigid connecting sleeve having a ilat passage to receive bus bars, a single clamp plate slidable edgewise in said passage and having tapered projecting ribs on one face and clamp screws in opposite ends of said sleeve for forcing said plate edgewise in said passage to vclamp the bars therein and means for limiting longitudinal movement of saidplateinsaid e. v

3. A connecting sleeve'having a tapered passage to receive bus bars, a single clamp plate slidable passageand clamp screws ensaging opposite e'nds of said plate for forcing said plate edgewise toward the narrower edge of said passage to clamp the bars therein and a lug on the plate extending into one edge of the sleeve for limiting longitudinal movement of said plate in said passage.

4. A rigid connecting sage with an opening in' one edge, plate in the passage having' flanges to engage the edges .of two bars in the passage and having a lug extending into said opening and clamp screws in the edge of the sleeve for engsin opposite ELMERy T. CARLSON.

sleeve having anat pw a single clamp 

